Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

उमायै कथयामास देवदेवः पिनाकधृक् । कार्तिकेयोऽपि शुश्राव गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं महत्

Transliteration

umāyai kathayāmāsa devadevaḥ pinākadhṛk | kārtikeyo'pi śuśrāva guhyādguhyataraṃ mahat

Translation

Le Dieu des dieux, porteur du Pināka, le révéla à Umā ; et Kārtikeya aussi écouta — un grand enseignement, plus secret que le secret même.

Word by Word

• उमायै: to Umā
• उमायै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/Dative), एकवचन

• कथयामास: told, narrated
• कथयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिच्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘he told/related’

• देवदेवः: the god of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘देवानां देवः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• पिनाकधृक्: the bearer of the Pināka (bow)
• पिनाकधृक्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिनाक (प्रातिपदिक) + धृ (धातु) → धृक् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्विप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पिनाकं धरति’ इति उपपद-तत्पुरुषः; धृ-धातोः क्विप् प्रत्ययान्तः

• कार्तिकेयः: Kārttikeya
• कार्तिकेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिकेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) = ‘also/even’

• शुश्राव: heard
• शुश्राव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘he heard’

• गुह्यात्: from (what is) secret
• गुह्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/Ablative), एकवचन; ‘from the secret’

• गुह्यतरम्: more secret
• गुह्यतरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative) = ‘more secret’

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘great’ (गुणवाचक)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Skanda in Nāgara-khaṇḍa tīrtha discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rahasya-upadeśa-sthāna (Śiva–Umā secret teaching place)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, holding the aura of the Pināka-bearer, speaks softly to Umā in a secluded jeweled summit; nearby, youthful Kārtikeya listens attentively, embodying disciplined śravaṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Umā
• Kārtikeya
• Pināka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest knowledge is transmitted through divine lineage and reverent listening (śravaṇa), emphasizing secrecy, purity, and readiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is framed within the tīrtha-mahātmya setting already established, linking sacred geography with sacred instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, attentive listening to mantra-teaching; no explicit external rite is stated.